Bi5123 Basic anthropological methods I

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 3 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable of Seminar Groups
Bi5123/01: Tue 13:00–15:50 D36/347, E. Drozdová
Bi5123/02: Wed 13:00–15:50 D36/347, E. Drozdová
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Aim of the course is introduction students with bacis methods in historical anthropology.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student should be able to create anthropological surwey in historical anthropology, it means to determine basic anthropological characteristics in human skeletal material.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to anthropological work
  • 1.1. Burials
  • 1.1.1. Primary
  • 1.1.2. Secundary
  • 1.1.3. Tertiary
  • 1.2. Documentation, excavation, preparation
  • 1.2.4. Taking samples
  • 1.3. Soil types and their influence on preservation status of skeletal material
  • Task: Anthropological surwey of secundary burial. Counting minimum number of individuals.
  • 2. Laboratory preparation of skeletal material
  • 2.1. Preparation and cleaning, conservation
  • 2.2. Reconstruction of broken skeletal material
  • 2.3. Documentation and description of skeletal material
  • Task: cleaning and reconstruction of given skeletal material
  • 3. Nonmetric trait in human skeleton
  • 1.1. Skull
  • 1.1.1. Suturas
  • 1.1.2. Norma verticalis
  • 1.1.3. Norma occipitalis
  • 1.1.4. Norma lateralis
  • 1.1.5. Norma basalis
  • 1.1.6. Norma frontalis
  • 1.1.7. Mandibula
  • 1.1.8. Dentition
  • 1.2. Nonmetric traits on postcranial skeleton
  • 1.2.1. vertebral column
  • 1.2.2. thorax
  • 1.2.3. scapula and clavicle
  • 1.2.4. upper limb
  • 1.2.5. os coxae
  • 1.2.6. lower limb
  • Task: description of nonmetric traits of given skeletal material
  • 4. Osteometry
  • 4.1. Orientation
  • 4.2. Antropological dimensions, kinds of mesurement
  • 4.2.3. Selection of dimensions
  • 4.2.4. Technick of measurement
  • 4.2.5 Bias of measurement
  • 4.2.6. Antropological instruments
  • 4.3. Basis of craniology
  • 4.3.1. Craniometric landmarks
  • 4.3.2. Dimensions of the skull
  • 4.4. Measurement of postcranial skeleton
  • Task: Anthropometric evaluation of given skeletal material
  • 5. Determination of sex
  • 5.1. Sexual dimorphism
  • 5.2. Influence of age
  • 5.3. Validation of methods
  • 5.4. Types of methods
  • 5.4.1. Morphometric a morphoskopic metods on pelvis
  • 5.4.2. Morphometric a morphoskopic metods on skull
  • 5.4.3. Determination of sex on other bones of postcranial skeleton
  • 5.4.4. Determination of sex on teeth
  • 5.5.5. Genetic determination of sex
  • Task: Determination of sex of given skeletal material by anthropometric and morphoscopis methods (skull, pelvis, talus etc.)
  • 6. Determination of age
  • 6.1. Dental ageing
  • 6.1.1. Mineralisation nd dentition
  • 6.1.2. Attrition of teeth
  • 6.2. Aging according maturation of skeleton
  • 6.2.1. in children
  • 6.2.2. in adults
  • 6.3. Combined method
  • 6.4. Other methods
  • Task: Determination of age in given skeletal material (chldren and adult skeleton) by two and more methods.
  • 7. Reconstruction of height of stature
  • 7.1. Methods and their use
  • Task: Stature height reconstruction on given skeletal material (by more methods)
  • 8. Face reconstruction according the skull
  • 8.1. History
  • 8.2. Gerasimov method
  • 8.3. Basic work with diopthrograph a diagraph
  • Task: Create diopthrographic picture of a skull and to try to make a face reconstruction.
  • 9. Study of cremation burials
  • 7.1. History
  • 7.2. Theory and definition of cremation burial žárového pohřbu
  • 7.3. Preparation and excavatin of cremations
  • 7.4. Identification methods
  • Task: Surwey of given cremation burial
  • Principles of dental anthropology
  • 10.1. Types of teeth and their marking
  • 10.2. Permanent dentition
  • 10.2.1. Variability of individual teeth
  • 10.2.2. Metods of description
  • 10.2 3. Measurement
  • 10.3. Decidues dentition
  • 10.3.1. Variability of decidues dentition, eruption and resorbtion
  • 10.4. Pathological changes on teeth
  • Task: To make a description of dentition on given dental material.
Literature
  • DROZDOVÁ, Eva. Základy osteometrie (Basic osteometry). 1st ed. Brno: Nadace Universitas Masarykiana, 2005, 196 pp. Panoráma biol. a sociokulturní antropologie 18. ISBN 80-7204-291-2. info
  • Antropologie :příručka pro studium kostry. Edited by Milan Stloukal. 1. vyd. Praha: Národní muzeum, 1999, 510 s. ISBN 80-7036-101-8. info
  • Anatomie zubů a chrupu. Edited by Milan Dokládal. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita-Lékařská fakulta, 1994, 121 s. ISBN 80-210-0999-3. info
Teaching methods
lectures and practical training
Assessment methods
oral exam including practical task
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2020, recent)
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